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Book of Jenova
Chapter 1: The Birth of the Lady Times were dire. The Lady [[Lolth]] had control of both the Underdark and the Shadowfell. She and other evil forces were at work, and the [[Council of Three]] were down to their final efforts to quell these forces. [[Bahamut]], Lord of Strength and Morality, declared that there must be a war on the [[Shadowfell]] – one war, once and for all. The Council gathered all of their forces. Bahamut’s Army was made of seven legions of paladins, five bastions of clerics, and sixteen brigades of volunteers from the Material Plane. [[Erathis]]’ forces, made up mostly of wizards and other scholars, provided arcane empowerment to these bastions. [[The Raven Queen]], Lady of Fate, employed hundreds of assassins, clerics, rogues, and others to sabotage the forces of Lolth and the Evil Ones. The battle was tremendous. More blood was shed that day than any other day recorded in history. The Lord Bahamut, appearing as a mighty dragon, cut down swaths with his powerful breath of fire and force. The Lady Erathis protected the mortal forces as they marched towards the capital city of Vomor, to finally defeat the Spider Queen. The Raven Queen traveled directly with her scouts, clearing a path. The Council of Three reached the castle, where the Spider Queen awaited them, ready to use all of the magic and energy of the Shadowfell against them. The world shook as they fought each other. Bahamut, now appearing as a warrior, with his giant sword of might; Erathis, providing defense and protection; and the Raven Queen, using the very fabrics of life themselves. Light and dark, good and evil, chaos and order clashed; and slowly, with the energies of the universe floating around, a figure began to form out of the shadow. With every meeting of energy between the great Gods and Goddesses of the Universe, more power was shifted into this figure; the energies of the Shadowfell were being shaped, the will of the realm itself was becoming formed into a new figure. The shadows formed a new being. This new being opened her slim eyes. The fighting ceased, as all were shocked at this new being. None, not even the Gods, knew what this new being would do. She looked at the Council, then at Lolth, then again at the Council. Her eyes, the only source of light coming from the new being, vanished, and suddenly Lolth was overtaken by shadow – and disappeared. The new deity appeared before the Council of Three. “What is your name, creation?” asked Erathis. “I am [[Jenova]],” it responded. “What type of being are you?” asked the Raven Queen. “I am Jenova. The Lady of the Shadowfell.” “And whose side are you on?” asked Bahamut. There was a short pause. “The oppressed, the forgotten, the hidden, and the ignored. I am on the side of those who cannot show their faces in the light because of fear. I am the Lady of Shadows.” Chapter 2: The Shadowfell Introduction The Shadowfell is a mysterious place, and likewise, its keeper, Jenova, is a mysterious being. The Shadowfell is inherently connected to the material plane, just as a shadow is connected to the thing which creates it. Similarly, the Shadowfell is a distorted mirror of the material plane. Directions, distances, and appearances all resemble the material plane, but not exactly. Time itself is distorted from that of the material plane. The Nature of the Shadowfell The Shadowfell’s essence changes with whoever is currently in control of it. Under Lolth, it was chaotic, depressing, oppressing, and violent. Spiders roamed the various lands, and Lolth’s drow initiates killed all who did not follow their Lady’s teachings. The Lady of Shadow saved the shadowfell from itself. The positive energies of the Council of Three combined with the shadow energy of the realm to create a new deity, one who would give meaning and order to a chaotic and unpredictable plane. The Lady used the energies of the Shadowfell to throw out the evil that was infiltrating it. Under Jenova, the Shadowfell acts as a refuge, a hidden protection for the oppressed from those who oppress them. Creatures of the Shadowfell Jenova garnered the attention and loyalty of many of those who had previously worshipped the Lady Lolth. The Drow; the Shadr-Kai; the Shades; and all of the Shadow creatures inhabit the Shadowfell. They all fall under the protection of Jenova. Chapter 3: The Shadow Wars Some time after the “birth” of Jenova, [[Stin Cepel]] was in the throes of continental war. The armies of [[Woestijn]] had banded together to invade and overtake the land of Stin Cepel. The [[King Victor IV|King]], who was a widower, was killed in the Battle of Alagir; his daughter, [[Ana II|Ana]], was the rightful heir to the throne. Young, but wise beyond her years, Ana was nevertheless unable to turn the tide of war. Meanwhile, the Lady was receiving more and more [[Drow]] followers from the [[Underdark]] who wished to leave the crippling web of the Spider Queen. She needed a place for them to live. So, for the first time in her history, she appeared on the material plane, to a mortal – the young Queen of Stin Cepel. “I am Jenova, Lady of Shadow, Keeper of the Shadowfell, and I have a proposition for you.” The Queen, stunned, listened to the Lady’s proposition. Under this agreement of sorts, the Lady of Shadows became the patron deity of Stin Cepel, protector of the land, and agreed to help turn the tide in the war. She would provide religious warriors to protect the realm and the royal family. In return, Stin Cepel, which was a primarily human country, would become a place of refuge for those in need, and would welcome the Drow defectors of Lolth into the country as citizens. Additionally, the Queen would marry a Drow noble so that the country would recognize the legitimacy of the Drow. Ana agreed, bowing on one knee and pledging her faith to the Lady of Shadow. “Rise, Queen. I do not require rites of faith; I do not require religious services; my church does not require loyalty or money. My church requires action and revolution, and the creation of a new tomorrow for those whose today is oppressive. Follow our agreement. Following my teachings, and following me, is a different matter entirely.” And with that, the Lady disappeared from the material plane. That night, mysterious beings infiltrated the camps of the armies of Woestijn, who were the main aggressors of the war, and completely wiped out every officer and the majority of their legions. The armies, terrified, fled back to Woestijn. The day was won. Chapter 4: The Shadeweavers The [[Shadeweaver|Shadeweavers]] are the promise of Jenova to the royal family of Stin Cepel. Two holy warriors who have devoted their lives to service of the Lady’s ideals are chosen to serve. Being a Shadeweaver is the highest honor in both the eyes of Jenova and the land of Stin Cepel. Prospective warriors undergo long and arduous training under the supervision of the current Shadeweavers, partially in the Shadowfell and partially in the [[Material Plane]]. At the end of their training, they are tasked with a specific mission. Once this mission is complete, they are anointed by the Lady of Shadow and appointed by the Royal Family of Stin Cepel to this petition. Shadeweavers are tasked with the protection of the Royal Family of Stin Cepel, first and foremost. As a secondary commission, they carry out missions for Jenova, who finds the oppressed and brings them to the attention of the holy warriors. Chapter 5: Beliefs of the Lady of Shadow The Lady’s appearance in the material plane, and the story of her creation, are short, but have strong messages. Below are the beliefs, philosophies, and teachings of Jenova, the Lady of Shadow, Protector of the Oppressed: # '''Protection''': The Lady believes in the protection of those who are oppressed, wrongfully accused, ignored, and weak. As she puts it, “Those who cannot appear in the light.” This generally means those who are not free in some way, or those who cannot protect themselves. # '''Action:''' The Lady favors passion over ritual, action over belief, and total commitment to a cause instead of indirect support. She tells the Queen that she does not need followers, she needs leaders to protect those who cannot protect themselves. # '''Order, not Organization: '''The Lady does not favor chaos, but also abhors bureaucracy. The Church of Jenova does not have an organizational structure; there are no temples of Jenova; and there are no financial ties attached to becoming a follower of Jenova. # '''Efficient and Discretionary Tactics: '''The Lady believes in the greater good. Bloodshed is a side effect to be expected when fighting for those who need it most. The Lady is not afraid to be ruthless, as was shown by her tactics of obliterating entire forces in their sleep. “Discretion is the better part of valor.” # '''Equality''': The Lady makes no judgment on the worth of one being over another. She accepts former Lolth Drow followers, humans, [[Shadr-Kai]], and any race which wishes to follow her teachings. She fights for the plight of all who are oppressed, regardless of demographic information. # '''Inner Resolve and Personal Judgment''': She did not make it a clause of her aid to Stin Cepel that the royal family worship her. She insists that all must make decisions based on their own reason and conscience. “My church requires action and revolution, and the creation of a new tomorrow for those whose today is oppressive. Follow our agreement. ''Following my teachings, and following me, is a different matter entirely''.” Chapter 6: Responsibilities of Jenova’s Witnesses Although all of the Lady’s teachings should be applied to the lives of everyone, those who dedicate their lives to the beliefs of the Lady must not only accept these teachings, but do everything within their power to move belief into action. Jenova’s Witnesses are expected to fight for the oppressed, and to fight against oppressors; they are expected to fight for equality of rights for all races, peoples, and creeds; they are expected to provide protection to those who need it most. Faith-in-action is the most important way that followers can worship the Lady of Shadow. Believers are not tasked with spreading the faith, but spreading the ideals of the faith through actions and passions. Chapter 7: Rites and Rituals Chapter 8: A Collection of Stories